NEWS ARCHIVE

Westley West acquitted of charges stemming from protest

A Baltimore minister was found not guilty of damaging a pickup truck during demonstrations in September. City police said they captured Westley West on video leading a September protest after motion hearings in the Freddie Gray case. But a jury took just 15 minutes to acquit West.

Related Content

City police said they captured Westley West on video leading a September protest after motion hearings in the Freddie Gray case.

Police claimed that West, who was arrested at his church on Sept. 9, was unlawfully impeding traffic and damaged a truck that was stopped in traffic. West was acquitted of the charges on Wednesday.

West, who is running for Baltimore City Council, said that police unfairly targeted him for leading the September protest and other gatherings.

"There was nothing again unlawful about those protests," West said. "And I'm committed to stand in the fight, committed to let my voice be heard."

Initially, West was also charged with attempting to incite a riot, disorderly conduct and destruction of property. But prosecutors dropped those charges before trial. The city State's Attorney's Office declined to comment on the acquittal.

Baltimore police released the following statement on Wednesday:

"We used discretion. Mr. Westley West was the only arrest on that day and people saw the video of his actions. Our role was one of public safety. Our record has been clear with protests such as this incident. Arrests are last resort. With the hundreds of protesters who converged in the downtown area on the dates of September 2nd and 10th, we arrested two people who broke the law. We didn't arrest any protesters."

West still faces theft charges for transferring $700 from a former employer to pay his bills and his church, authorities said. He says those allegations are also false. That trial is set for April.